Hit the books and go back to school

By Michele Cauch

If you’re retired or close to this life milestone, now is the perfect time to think about going back to school.
Today, there are so many options for continuing education for older adults and seniors. There’s never been a better time to fill your head with learning.

From university degrees to one-off special-interest courses, the world of education is your oyster. There are so many options nowadays for older adults and seniors to pursue educational opportunities, such as affordability, location and program type. Really, the only question now is not why would you go back to school but rather, why wouldn’t you?

Moving into the Ivory Tower
If you’ve ever dreamed of getting a degree or diploma, some colleges and universities now offer reduced rate tuition for people 65 plus. For those who pursue this option of post-secondary education, you’ll get the full-on, in-class experience – rubbing shoulders with freshman, burning the midnight oil writing papers and cramming before exam time. If that sounds like what you’re looking for, check out these post-secondary institutions.

For individuals who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents age 60 or older at time of registration, York academic fees at the domestic rate will be waived. 

Ryerson Chang School of Continuing Education waves tuition fees for students who are 60 years of age or over at the start of the term for undergraduate credit courses/programs. You still have to pay departmental ancillary fees though.
McMaster University in Hamilton has a similar program for undergraduates more than 65. In addition, McMaster reduces fees by 50 per cent for seniors registered in continuing education courses.

Hopefully you’ll find what you’re searching for at York or Ryerson because you’ll have to pay big bucks to attend University of Toronto. The U of T only waves nominal ancillary fees for seniors. Across Canada, there are other universities that offer free or reduced rate tuition for 65 plus such as:

• University of Guelph
• University of Calgary
• University of Western Ontario
• University of British Columbia
• University of Lethbridge
• Mount Allison University

Study through cyber space
If the fast-paced, caffeine-drenched life of a full-time student is not for you, you might be interested in online educational options. The advent of the Internet has changed the way we communicate with each other, how we do business and how we socialize.

It also revolutionized the way we learn. Online courses make studying convenient and flexible right from the privacy of your very own Internet connection. The dress code is much more relaxed when you study at home, too - jeans, ballgown, pajamas are optional.

One of my favourite online sites is Coursera.org
Coursera is leading the way of MOOCs (massive online open courses). Coursera partners with leading educational institutions across the globe to offer courses that were once the privilege of the few. Partner universities include Stanford, Duke, Berklee College of Music, University of Edinburgh, University of Geneva and Johns Hopkins to name only a few.

Coursera partners with 62 universities to offers 92 courses in five languages across four continents. There are 2.7 million students currently studying through coursera.org

And best of all, it’s free!

From introduction to mechanical engineering to songwriting, human physiology to improv, Coursera brings you learning options you never thought you’d be able to take advantage of.

While you won’t earn your degree through Coursera, you will get a certificate of completion when you finish the course. All you need is an Internet connection. Coursera also connects students to meetup groups based on course. So if you’re one 400 people who signed up for Introduction to Mathematical Thinking and live in Toronto, Coursera gives you the option of connecting to Mathematical Thinking Toronto Meetup.com to get together with other individuals in the same course.

Coursera has pioneered online learning, making education possible for millions of people.

Next, special-interest courses


Original link:  http://www.insidetoronto.com/blogs/post/2502045-health-you-re-never-too-old-to-hit-the-books-and-go-back-to-school-says-age-well/